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North Ayrshire Council: Education Services

Castlepark Primary School Handbook 2020-21

Carron Place

Castlepark

Irvine

North Ayrshire

KA12 9LQ

Tel 01294 279764

Fax 01294 312414

https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/na/castleparkprimary/

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Contents

Senior Leadership Team Introduction 4

Communities Directorate (Education Services) 5

▪ Directorate Aims, Values and Priorities Section 1: School Information 6

▪ School Aims, Values, Ethos ▪ School Contact Details (Address, Telephone, Email) ▪ School Staff ▪ School Calendar/Holidays

Section 2: School Procedures 11

▪ School Security

▪ Positive Relationships

▪ Playground Supervision

▪ Absence from School Premises at Breaks

▪ School Dress Code ▪ Dress Code for PE ▪ Personal Belongings ▪ Mobile Phones ▪ Information in Emergencies ▪ Listening and Learning

Section 3: Footwear, Clothing, Free School Meals and Transport 15

▪ Footwear and Clothing Grants ▪ Free School Meals ▪ School Transport Policy

Section 4: School Registration, Enrolment and Attendance 16

▪ Registration and Enrolment ▪ Attendance at School ▪ Structure of Classes ▪ Transfer to Secondary School

Section 5: Curriculum for Excellence 18

▪ Curriculum for Excellence

▪ The Capacities ▪ Extra-Curricular Activities ▪ Assessment and Reporting ▪ Homework

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Section 6: School Improvement 22

▪ S&Q Report/Improvement Plan

Section 7: Support for your Child 23

▪ Additional Support for Learning ▪ Dispute Resolution Procedures ▪ Further Support ▪ Equalities ▪ Equality Act 2010 ▪ Child Protection ▪ Inclusion ▪ GIRFEC ▪ Psychological Services ▪ Data Protection ▪ Medical and Health Care

Section 8: Parental Involvement 30

▪ Parent Council ▪ Home School Links

▪ Reports to Parents

▪ Homework

▪ School Committees

Section 9: Pupil Data Collection and Protection Policies 32 Appendix 1: Important Contacts

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Senior Leadership Team Introduction

Dear Parents and Carers,

On behalf of all of the staff at Castlepark Primary School, we would like to

welcome your child to our incredible school community.

We will take pride in making you and your child feel welcome and will do

everything we can to get to know your child quickly and meet your child’s

needs.

The information in this handbook is intended as a guide to all parents and carers

of new pupils. We would urge you to visit our school to find out more about what

we offer at Castlepark.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, concerns or

compliments.

Yours sincerely

Graeme Marshall Head Teacher

Shona Brabbs Depute Head Teacher (P1-P3)

Louise Cardwell Depute Head Teacher (P4-P7)

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Communities Directorate (Education Services) What we want to achieve

Our Overall Aim

● Ensuring people have the right skills for learning, life and work

Our Priorities

● We are reducing inequalities and delivering improved outcomes for children and

young people

● High quality learning and teaching is taking place in our establishments

● Self-evaluation and performance improvement are embedded throughout our

schools and central support teams

● Levels of attainment and achievement are improving for all learners

● High numbers of our young people are entering positive and sustained post-

school destinations

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Section 1: School Information

Castlepark Primary School

Carron Place Castlepark

Irvine

North Ayrshire

KA12 9LQ

Tel 01294 279764

Twitter - @CastleparkPS

Email:castlepark@ea.n-ayrshire.sch.uk

Website:

www.blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/na/castleparkprimary

We have our First Green Flag for our commitment to addressing climate change

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Aims, Values & Ethos

Castlepark Primary School Aims & Values

Our aim is to ensure that every child at Castlepark Primary achieves the highest

possible wellbeing. This means we deliver a service that strives to Get It Right For

Every Child and ensure we are doing everything we can to help every child be Safe,

Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Responsible and Included.

To help us achieve this standard for every child, our school staff team spend time at

the start of this school year agreeing our core professional values. The Castlepark

Values which every member of our staff team will show are:

Teamwork: we combine our strengths and work together.

Compassion: we nurture and care for everyone.

Ambition: we strive to achieve the best for everyone.

Commitment: we continue to learn and improve.

We spend time reflecting on these values throughout the year to ensure this is the

standard of service we deliver at all times.

Ethos

We aim to have a healthy and happy atmosphere within our school.

We achieve this by ensuring we teach our children to follow The Castlepark Way:

We are caring and friendly to everyone.

We are always honest and fair.

We are polite and helpful at all times.

We try our very best.

We let everyone learn.

We look after every part of our school.

Our staff team model The Castlepark Way and we ask that parents and carers do

the same.

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Staffing

Senior Leadership Team:

Head Teacher Mr Marshall

Depute Head Teacher (P1-P3) Mrs Brabbs

Depute Head Teacher (P4-P7) Mrs Cardwell

Principal Teacher (P1-P3) Mrs Rogerson

Principal Teacher (P4-P7) Mrs Robertson

Teachers (2019/20):

Mrs Corrigan P1a

Mrs McGilp P1b

Mrs Bellshaw P2/1

Mrs MacCormick P2a

Mrs Smith P2b

Mrs Glover P3a

Mrs Kirk P3b

Mrs Dalziel P4a

Mrs Hornsby P4b

Miss Watson P4c

Miss Reid P5a

Mr Todd P5b

Mrs Drysdale P6/5

Mrs Caldwell P6a

Mr Robb P6b

Mrs Davidson P7a

Mr Anderson P7b

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Additional Teachers

Ms Fairfull Miss Anderson Miss Macrae

Mrs Martin Mrs Buchanan

Nurture Staff and Early Years’ Practitioners

Mrs Wylie (Teacher) Mrs Merrilees (EYP)

Mrs Bell (Nurture Practitioner) Mrs Regan (EYP)

Visiting Specialist Teachers

Mrs Mackenzie (PE Specialist)

Mrs MacDougall (Music Specialist)

Janitor

Mr Gibb

Office Staff

Mrs Lennox

Mrs Black

Mrs McMillan

Mrs Cassidy

Classroom Assistants:

Mrs Hlibyczuk

Mrs McNeil

Mrs Harkins

Mrs Campbell

Catering Staff Cleaning Staff

Mrs Scott Mrs Gaw

Mrs Gaw Mrs Knox

Mrs Lyndsay Mrs Cooney

Mrs Eldridge

Mrs Morris

Mr Wason

Mrs Scott

Mrs Hair

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Section 2: School Procedures

School Security

North Ayrshire Council has introduced procedures to ensure the safety and security of children and staff when attending or working in a school. A number of security measures are used including the use of a visitors’ book, badges and escorts while visitors are within the school building. Any parent/carer or visitor at a school for any reason will be asked to report to the school office. The school staff will then make any necessary arrangements in connection with the visit to the school. It is the policy of the school that any member of staff will approach a visitor and ask for verification of identity. This measure ensures that children work in a safe and protected environment. We appreciate your support in carrying out all of the above measures.

Positive Relationships The school is committed to developing a nurturing approach and promoting positive relationships. Like every community, our school is built on the relationships within it, across it and its connections with others. Every member of staff is responsible for establishing and maintaining positive relationships with each other, with parents and with partners and most importantly with the young people in their care. Our expectations of behaviour for children and young people are high. Some children may require additional support in relation to their behaviour, and the school will work positively with the young person and the parents, and other partners, as appropriate, to ensure positive outcomes are achieved. North Ayrshire Council is committed to the principles of restorative practices. This is a solution-focused approach to managing behaviour and resolving difficulties and which promotes healthy relationships that enable better behaviour and better learning. The school has a code of conduct, known as ‘The Castlepark Way’, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all and parents are asked to support the school fully in this matter.

Playground Supervision

The Council meets the terms of the legal requirement that pupils be supervised in the

playground by at least one adult during the interval or lunchtime if there are fifty or

more pupils at the school. Our policy reflects that of North Ayrshire Council in terms of

the Schools (Safety and Supervision of Pupils) (Scotland) Regulations 1990.

An adult presence is provided in playgrounds at break times. Pupils who travel by

contracted school transport and arrive at school more than ten minutes before the start

of the school day have accommodation allocated to them within the school during

inclement weather.

Absence from school premises at breaks

Schools have a duty to look after the welfare of their pupils. This means that the staff

should take the same care of pupils as a sensible parent would take, and this includes

taking reasonable care of pupils' safety during intervals and lunchtimes.

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It is the policy of North Ayrshire Council that pupils should not leave the school grounds

at intervals. Primary pupils should only leave school grounds at lunchtimes when they

are going home for lunch with their parents' agreement. Parents should put this

request in writing to the Head Teacher. Pupils will leave and return through main

entrance door of the school.

Parents should encourage their children to follow these rules in the interests of safety.

School Dress Code

It is the policy of North Ayrshire Council to support the introduction of a reasonable

and flexible dress code in schools in its area. The Council encourages each school to

adopt its own code, after consultation with parents and pupils.

The Council believes that establishing a school dress code has many benefits. These

include improvements in safety, security, positive behaviour and community spirit and

a decrease in bullying and in expense for parents.

The Council will support schools in encouraging and helping pupils to conform to the

chosen dress code. Some types of clothing will not be allowed at school in any

circumstances, for reasons of safety, decency or wellbeing.

Types of clothing which will not be allowed include: -

▪ Clothes which are a health or safety risk ▪ Clothes which may damage the school building ▪ Clothes which may provoke other pupils ▪ Clothes which are offensive or indecent ▪ Clothes which encourage the use of alcohol or tobacco

The Council will support schools taking disciplinary procedures against pupils in

serious or persistent cases.

All items of clothing should be clearly labelled with the child's name in case of loss. It

is appreciated that parents and pupils are distressed over the occasional loss of pupils'

clothing and/or personal belongings. Parents are asked to assist in this area by

ensuring that valuable items of clothing or personal belongings are not brought to

school.

Personal Belongings It is appreciated that parents and pupils may be distressed over the occasional loss of

pupil’s clothing and/or personal belongings. Parents are asked to assist by ensuring

that valuable items of clothing or personal belongings are NOT brought to school.

Parents should note that the authority does not carry insurance to cover the

loss of such items.

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Dress Code for P.E. For health and safety reasons all children must wear suitable clothing for PE. This consists of shorts and t-shirts with soft shoes for indoor activities. We adhere strictly to health and safety guidelines and pupils must remove any item

that may cause danger, i.e. metal buckles, jewellery. These items are the responsibility

of the pupil. Long hair should be tied back.

NB: All earrings should be removed for physical activities in the gym hall.

School Meals

Meals are served daily from the multi-choice cafeteria. The meals are planned to offer

a healthy diet for the children. Please inform us if your child has any specific allergies.

Parents of children who require a special diet can arrange this by contacting the

school.

There are arrangements in place for children who would prefer to eat a packed lunch.

Mobile Phones While the benefits of mobile phones are recognised, they can be a serious distraction

to work. Pupils whose mobile phones disrupt lessons can have them confiscated until

the end of the school day. Repeated disruption may result in phones being retained

until uplifted by a parent.

Inappropriate use of text messages and/or photographs/recordings (video and audio)

whilst in school may be treated as a breach of school discipline or a serious incident,

which could be referred to the police.

Information in Emergencies We make every effort to maintain a full educational service but on some occasions

circumstances arise which lead to disruption. Schools may be affected by, for

example, severe weather, and temporary interruption of transport, power failures or

difficulties of fuel supply. In such cases, we shall do all we can to let you know about

the details of closure or re-opening. We will keep you in touch by using letters, texts

(where possible), NAC website, notices in local shops and community centres,

announcements in the press and West FM.

Should you have doubts about deteriorating conditions during the day, it may be

advisable to contact the school.

Parents should ensure that the school is aware of the emergency arrangements made

for their child and have the responsibility to update the office with contact numbers.

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Listening and Learning It is the policy of North Ayrshire Council to try to encourage feedback on the education service from parents and pupils. This is part of our overall commitment to giving the best possible service and to working in partnership. We are therefore very interested in feedback of all kinds, whether it is compliments, suggestions or complaints. If you wish to register a comment of any type about the school you can do this by writing, telephoning or making an appointment to see someone. All feedback is welcome and helps us keep in touch. If, in particular, you have a complaint about the school please let us know. It is better that these things are shared openly and resolved fairly, rather than being allowed to damage the home/school relationship. There will be no negative consequences arising from making a complaint and we will deal with the issue as confidentially as possible. If we have made a mistake we will apologise quickly and clearly and try to put things right. There are some things which you should take note of in relation to making a complaint:

The Council has a Two Stage Policy when dealing with complaints from parents.

It is helpful if complaints are made initially to the Head Teacher. This makes sure that the school knows what is going on and has an opportunity to respond and resolve the issue.

We will try to respond as quickly as possible, but often issues are complex and need time to investigate. It is therefore helpful if you can give some details of the issue and ask for an early appointment to discuss it.

If you are not satisfied with our response then you still have the right to request that your complaint is raised as a Stage 2 Complaint. Should you wish to request this you should contact Education Services at Cunninghame House, Irvine, KA12 8EE, Telephone (01294 324400).

If, after receiving our final decision on your complaint, you remain dissatisfied with our decision or the way we have handled your complaint, you can ask the SPSO to consider it. We’ll tell you how to do this when we send you our final decision.

You should also note that you have the right to raise unresolved concerns with your local Councillor, MSP or MP.

Parent Councils have an important role in developing links between the school and the wider parent body and can often be helpful in helping to deal with issues of general concern. However, parents are advised that individual, more personal complaints are not appropriate for raising via Parent Councils due to the need for appropriate confidentiality.

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Section 3: Educational Grants: Footwear, Clothing, Free School Meals and Transport Footwear and Clothing Grants Parents receiving Universal Credit will normally be entitled to grants for footwear and clothing for their children. Universal Credit claimants monthly income must not exceed £610.00, however, some parents earning more than this may still be eligible. Parents who still receive Income Support, Income based Job Seeker’s Allowance, any income related element of Employment and Support Allowance, Support under part V1 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, Child Tax Credit only (with income under £16,105), Working Tax Credit or Housing Benefit may also still be entitled to grants for footwear and clothing for their children. Parents who may be unsure whether they can apply should contact the Council’s Welfare Reform Team on 0300 99 4606 or the Council Contact Centre on 01294 310000 for further advice. Information and application forms may be obtained from schools. Free School Meals Children of parents receiving job seeker’s allowance or income support are entitled to a free midday meal and free milk. Parents and Carers should contact 01294 310000 for further information. Please Note: ALL pupils in P1-3 are entitled to a free school meal, which includes milk. Other than P1-P3 pupils, only those children whose parents receive job seeker's allowance or income support will be entitled to free milk. Milk may however be available for purchase in the school during the lunch period. School Transport Policy North Ayrshire Council has a policy of providing free transport to all primary pupils who live more than two miles from their catchment area school by the recognised shortest safe walking route or through the link attached below: https://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/Forms/EducationalServices/free-school-transport.doc These forms should be completed and returned before the end of February for those pupils beginning school in August to enable the appropriate arrangements to be made. Applications may be submitted at other times throughout the year but may be subject to delay while arrangements are made. The appropriate officer has discretion in special circumstances to grant permission for pupils to travel in transport provided by the authority, where places are available and no additional costs are incurred. Where free transport is provided it may be necessary for pupils to walk a certain distance to the vehicle pick-up point. Walking distance in total, including the distance from home to the pick-up point and from the drop-off point to the school in any one direction, will not exceed the Council's limits (see above section). It is the parents’ responsibility to ensure that their child arrives at the pick-up point on time. It is also the parents’ responsibility to ensure that their child behaves in a safe and acceptable manner while boarding, travelling in and leaving the vehicle. Misbehavior can result in children losing the right to free transport. Please see attached link to the Council’s School Transport Policy: https://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/Documents/EducationalServices/school-transport-

policy.pdf

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Section 4: School Registration, Enrolment and Attendance

Registration and Enrolment

The date for registration of school beginners is advertised in the local press and is

normally in January each year. Pupils will be registered in the school for their

catchment area.

Parents are provided with information about the school and procedures for making

placing requests, if required. Arrangements for meetings with parents and induction

days for pupils will be notified during the spring and summer terms.

Parents of pupils who have moved to the area or who wish their child to transfer to the

school should contact the school office for information about appropriate procedures

and to arrange a visit to the school.

Parents are welcome to contact the Head Teacher at any time by visiting or

telephoning the school.

Attendance at School/Lateness

It is the responsibility of parents of children of school age to educate their child(ren).

Most do this by ensuring that their child(ren) attend(s) school regularly.

Attendance is recorded twice a day, morning and afternoon. Absence from school is

recorded as authorised, unauthorised or temporarily excluded.

Parents are asked to inform the school by letter or telephone if their child is likely to

be absent for some time, and to give the child a note on his or her return to school,

confirming the reason for absence. If there is no explanation from a child’s parents,

the absence will be regarded as unauthorised.

Every effort should be made to avoid family holidays during term time as this both

disrupts the child’s education and reduces learning time. Parents should inform the

school by letter, before going on holiday, of the dates. Such absence will be authorised

only where certain and very specific family circumstances exist. The majority of family

holidays taken during term time will be categorised as unauthorised absence.

Parents may request that their children be permitted to be absent from school to make

an extended visit to relatives. Only written requests detailing the destination, the

duration and the provision that will be made for their continuing education will be

granted. Such extended absences will be recorded separately from the normal

attendance and absence information.

The School Inclusion Worker investigates unexplained absence, and the authority has the power to write to, interview or prosecute parents, or refer pupils to the Reporter to the Children’s Panel, if necessary.

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Structure of Classes Primary schools educate pupils at seven broad year stages, Primary 1 to Primary 7.

A year stage is defined as a group of pupils entering primary education at a common

date. Schools are staffed based on the total number of pupils. However, the numbers

of pupils at each year stage will vary. This means that head teachers are required to

organise classes to make best use of available staff, resources and space to the

benefit of all children in the school.

Pupils may, therefore, be taught in a single stage class or a composite class where

two or more year stages are grouped together. This may also change as pupils move

from one year to the next.

National guidelines on the curriculum indicate that pupils should progress through

learning experiences tailored to their own needs and abilities. This means that pupils

in all classes follow programmes designed to help them progress at their own level.

This applies to all pupils regardless of whether or not they are in a composite or single

year stage class.

The National agreement on class sizes states that the maximum number of pupils in

a class is 30 in P1 – P3, and 33 in P4 -7. In a composite class, the maximum number

is 25.

Transfer to Secondary School Pupils are normally transferred between the ages of eleven and a half and twelve and

a half, so that they will have the opportunity to complete at least 4 years of secondary

education. Parents will be informed of the arrangements no later than January of the

year preceding the date of transfer at the start of the new session.

Castlepark Primary School is an associated primary school of:

Irvine Royal Academy Kilwinning Road Irvine KA12 8SJ Tel No: 01294 278756 Headteacher: Mrs Linzie Sloan During their time in P7, pupils are taken to Irvine Royal Academy as part of our planned induction programme. Teachers from local primary schools and their secondary colleagues have worked together to create a Pupil Profile of Achievements which will be completed in Primary 7 and passed onto the secondary school. Teachers from both schools liaise to ensure a smooth transition which focuses on progression for pupils. Parents will be informed of the details of the visits when appropriate.

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Section 5: Curriculum for Excellence

Curriculum for Excellence is the national curriculum for Scottish schools for learners

from age 3 to 18. It aims to raise standards, prepare our children for a future they do

not yet know and equip them for the jobs of tomorrow in a fast changing world.

Curriculum for Excellence enables professionals to teach subjects creatively, to work

together across the school and with other schools, to share best practice and explore

learning together. Glow, Scotland’s unique, world-leading, online network supports

learners and teachers in this and plans are already in place for parents across the

country to have access to Glow.

Teachers and practitioners will share information to plan a child’s “learning journey”

from 3-18, ensuring children continue to work at a pace they can cope with and with

challenge they can thrive on.

Curriculum for Excellence balances the importance of knowledge and skills. Every

child is entitled to a broad and deep general education where every single teacher and

practitioner will be responsible for literacy and numeracy – the language and number

skills that unlock other subjects and are vital to everyday life. There is emphasis too

on health and wellbeing – to ensure that the school is a place where children feel safe

and secure.

Curriculum for Excellence develops skills for learning, life and work to help young

people go on to further study, secure work and navigate life. It brings real life into the

classroom, making learning relevant and helps young people apply lessons to their life

beyond the classroom.

It links knowledge in one subject area to another helping children understand the world

and make connections. It develops skills so that children can think for themselves,

make sound judgements, challenge, enquire and find solutions.

There are new ways of assessing progress and ensuring children achieve their

potential. Ultimately, Curriculum for Excellence aims to improve our children’s life

chances, to nurture successful learners, confident individuals, effective

contributors, and responsible citizens, building on Scotland’s reputation for great

education. A Curriculum for Excellence aims to enable young people to meet the four

capacities listed overleaf.

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Curriculum for Excellence: The Capacities

Further Information about Curriculum for Excellence and the Experiences and

Outcomes can be found on the Curriculum for Excellence website.

www.educationscotland.gov.uk/thecurriculum/whatiscurriculumforexcellence.

Extra-Curricular Activities Throughout their time at Castlepark Primary, pupils will have the opportunity to take

part in a range of extra-curricular activities. School staff deliver a range of clubs after

school and parents of targeted age-groups will be notified throughout the year about

the programme on offer. In recent years, we have delivered football, cross-country,

athletics and Scottish country dancing. Our Family Learning Worker also provides

activities for parents to attend with their children after school. These are highly

effective in building children’s confidence and supporting their achievement at school.

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Assessment and Reporting

Assessment is a central part of everyday learning and teaching for children and young people. Evidence of progress is gathered on an ongoing and informal basis through asking questions, observing children working together and making formative comments on their work. Children may also assess their own work or that of their class mates; this is called self and peer assessment. Some assessment is more formal such as projects, investigations and standardised assessments. The assessment of children’s progress throughout the BGE (Early – S3) is based on teachers’ views: their professional judgement. Teachers draw on their professional knowledge and understanding of the child; on the benchmarks for literacy and numeracy, which provide clear information about what children and young people should be able to do and demonstrate by the end of a Curriculum for Excellence Level; and on a wide range of assessment information. Teachers of P1, P4, P7 and S3 are asked at the end of every school year whether children have achieved the relevant Curriculum for Excellence level for their stage in reading, writing, talking and listening (literacy), and their ability to understand and work with numbers (numeracy). Most children are expected to have achieved the early level by the end of P1, first level by the end of P4, second level by the end of P7 and third or fourth level by the end of S3. The government has also introduced new national standardised assessments which cover some aspects of reading, writing and working with numbers. These assessments are completed online and are automatically marked by the online system giving teachers immediate feedback to help plan next steps and support children’s progress. Teachers remain best placed to know how the children in their class are progressing. Their professional judgement will continue to be the most important way of assessing your child’s progress at school. As a parent, you continue to have a key role in helping your child to learn. Your child’s teacher will keep you informed about how your child is progressing. Please contact us if you have any concerns about their learning, assessment or for more information on how you can support your child’s learning at home. Homework Parents have a very important role in helping their children to get the best out of school and it is important that they take an active interest in their child's progress at school. This can be done by:

Encouraging hard work and high standards at all times

Stressing the importance and relevance of what is learned at school

Supporting the school's policy on homework and discipline

The type of homework will vary depending on the age and ability of individual pupils. Reading commonly forms part of the homework set and will be specified by the teacher

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on a reading marker. Parents are encouraged not only to read with their child but also to discuss the story and pictures. In the early and middle stages oral reading should be practiced regularly at home whereas in the upper primary, where children are competent in the mechanics of reading, a greater emphasis may be placed on silent reading and comprehension. Reading for enjoyment should be encouraged at all stages. Spelling is also an important part of homework from P3 onwards (although some children may be asked to practice even earlier). Math’s homework will be given to consolidate understanding and proficiency at all stages of the school. From time to time pupils are given assignments and Personal projects which may involve research, investigation, preparing a speech, learning a poem or a similar activity. We really appreciate the involvement of parents and are very grateful to those parents who so faithfully sign reading markers and jotters to confirm that they have overseen each piece of work.

We believe in the importance of play and in learning through play

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Section 6: School Improvement

S&Q Report/Improvement Plan Schools in North Ayrshire follow a Quality Improvement process designed to highlight strengths and identify areas for improvement. The process is based on the school’s self evaluation process with Heads of Service and Senior Managers involved in at least three formal validation visits each session. This validation process involves talking to pupils, staff and parents about learning and improvements made by the school. This results in actions for improvement for the school to take forward in their planning process. In addition, themed reviews are undertaken from time to time e.g. to look and report on the quality of the Broad General Education (3-18) and Senior phase Education within secondary schools. This process is based upon standards and expectations contained within the following National Standards documentation:

National Improvement Framework

How Good is Our School? 4

How Good is Our Early Learning and Childcare? A Standards and Quality Report and School Improvement Plan are produced on an annual basis by every school and centre. Staff, Parents/ Carers, Young People and School Partners will play an active role in the development of these key school documents.

Our Improvement Plan Priorities 2019-20

Priority 1: Improve outcomes for children requiring additional support to overcome barriers to learning and wellbeing. Priority 2: Improve the quality of learning & teaching through evidence-based professional learning. Priority 3: Improve planning, learning & teaching, assessment and reporting through quality assurance and self-evaluation processes. Priority 4: Improve the % of pupils who are ‘on track’ with national expectations in literacy and numeracy. Priority 5: Improve P7 pupils’ understanding of employability skills and their transition to secondary school.

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Section 7: Support for your Child

Equalities In line with North Ayrshire Council policy, educational provision is open to all pupils, regardless of sex, age, religion, race, disability or any other potential barrier and all reasonable measures will be taken to ensure that the curriculum is available to every child. Schools also have a duty to promote equality and to eliminate racist and other discriminatory behaviours. Equality Act 2010 The Equality Act 2010 has been drawn up to tackle inequality and prevent discrimination against people on the basis of ‘protected characteristics’. It brings together several existing laws and aims to make understanding the law simpler and also introduces a new single public sector equality duty, which requires public bodies to actively advance equality. The duties set out in Chapter 1 of Part 6 of the Equality Act apply to all schools. These provisions protect pupils at the school and in the case of admissions, those applying or wishing to apply for admission. Former pupils are also protected from discrimination or harassment. Guidance on the Act and its requirements for schools in relation to the provision of education can be accessed via the Scottish Government website via here: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2012/02/7679/3 Child Protection

Education Services has a fundamental duty to contribute to the care and safety of all children and young people in North Ayrshire. In fulfilling this duty, the service must engage in close partnership with parents/carers and relevant agencies, primarily the Health and Social Care Partnership and where appropriate the Scottish Children’s Reporter’s Administration. The Service will work in partnership with a number of levels within the establishment or school within the cluster or local area and through Integrated Children’s Services and Community Health Partnership. The Standard Circular entitled, “Protecting and Safeguarding North Ayrshire’s Children” provides guidance for policy and practice within all educational establishments. The Council is one of the key partners in the North Ayrshire Child Protection Committee, a multi-agency group which takes the lead role in ensuring that our children and young people are cared for, protected from harm and grow up in a safe environment. Each school has a named Child Protection Co-ordinator who is the main point of contact for school staff and for external agencies seeking contact with the school on child protection matters. There is an extensive staff-training programme available to staff and, in addition, at the beginning of each school session all staff receive an update on child protection policies, safeguarding and procedures.

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Inclusion

North Ayrshire Council is committed to the well-being and educational development of

all learners. The process of inclusion requires all involved in the business of learning

and teaching to demonstrate commitment, innovation and flexibility in order to ensure

that all children and young people have access to quality learning opportunities and

experiences. Our Inclusion Strategy states that:

An inclusive approach to education supports an ethos of achievement and high

expectation, recognises difference, respects these differences and sees

differences between learners as opportunities for learning.

An inclusive approach to education promotes tolerance and a positive

understanding of diversity.

An inclusive approach to education alleviates the barriers to learning, supports the

achievement of all and has positive relationships at its heart. Only in exceptional circumstances would it be deemed lawful to proceed to consider alternative educational planning for a child or young person. The Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils’ Educational Records) (Scotland) Act, October 2002, requires local education authorities to prepare and implement accessibility strategies to improve, over time, access to education for young people with disabilities. Access covers: The physical building and grounds The curriculum (both formal and informal) Information on any educational planning that might affect the child’s/young

person’s education

The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) (2009) Act sets out certain duties on local education authorities and confers certain rights on children and their parents. These duties include the need to: Identify, assess and address the need for additional support for any child or young

person failing to benefit from school education, for whatever reason Seek and take account of the views of the child or young person on issues relating

to their education Engage in helpful partnership working with parents/carers and staff from other

agencies

These are the various pieces of legislation that support the right to inclusion and that define the main features of that right.

Additional Support for Learning

Any child who needs more or different support to what is normally provided in schools or pre-

schools is said to have ‘additional support needs’. This includes children who may need

extra help with their education as a result of issues arising from social and emotional

difficulties, bullying, physical disability, having English as an additional language, a sensory

impairment or communication difficulty.

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The Additional Support for Learning Act

The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 came into force in

November 2005. In June 2009, the Act was amended. These amendments form the

Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009 and came into force on

November 2010.

Main provisions of the Act

● The Act provides the legal framework underpinning the system for supporting

children and young people in their school education, and their families.

● This framework is based on the idea of additional support needs. This broad and

inclusive term applies to children or young people who, for whatever reason, require

additional support, long or short term, in order to help them make the most of their

school education and to be included fully in their learning.

● The 2009 Act automatically deems that all looked after children and young people

have additional support needs unless the education authority determine that they do

not require additional support in order to benefit from school education.

● In addition, education authorities must consider whether each looked after child or

young person for whose school education they are responsible requires a co-

ordinated support plan.

Duties under the ‘Additional Support for Learning’ legislation

North Ayrshire must assess any pupil with additional support needs and provide with any support necessary for them to benefit fully from their education. All the evidence says that it is best to intervene early to prevent any difficulties developing and taking root. For example by making sure reading is very well taught and that all pupil gets encouragement and support at home we can hopefully reduce later difficulties. Whatever the type of challenge that arises, it is important to detect it early, develop a shared understanding of what is needed (the school may request extra specialised help to do this) and take action to help to pupil achieve. Whenever we start this process for any child or young person, we will always explain to them and to their parents/carers what our concerns are and what we will do to help. The school can get support from a range of visiting professionals including Educational Psychologists. These professionals are regularly in all schools and teachers and others will ask for informal advice on supporting pupils for example on the best way to support a pupil who is having difficulties with reading. If the school wants more detailed individual help then they would talk to you about formally involving the educational psychologist. The educational psychologist can only be involved in consultation, collaborative assessment and planning interventions for your child after you agree to this. For a few children and young people their needs are so complex that professionals from two or more agencies need to work together over a significant length of time to enable the child to benefit from school education.

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The authority approach to staged intervention has been updated to take ensure it is line with the CYP (2014) and ASL (2004) (amended 2009) Acts. The aim is to ensure children and young people get the right support at the right time.

Where a child or young person has additional support needs, extra planning is required every time there is a move to a new class, new school or college. How far ahead this transition planning needs to start depends on the particular type of needs but for most children and young people with Additional Support Needs transition planning should start at least one year before the date of the planned move. Detailed advice on transition planning is provided in the Supporting Children’s Learning Code of Practice, which can be accessed at the following link: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/Doc/348208/0116022.pdf Dispute Resolution Procedures If you feel that things are not being done properly to support your child then the Council has a

range of ways to work with you to resolve any issues. You can ask at any time for a copy of

the booklet called ‘Resolving Disagreements’. This booklet will give you ways to make sure

your concerns are listened to and addressed.

Further Support The following organisations are able to provide advice, further information and support to parents of children and young people with ASN. 1. Enquire: Scottish Advice and Information Service for Additional Support for

Learning

Website: http://enquire.org.uk/ Helpline: 0345 123 2303 Email: info@enquire.org.uk

2. Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance Website: http://www.siaa.org.uk/ Telephone: 0131 260 5380 Email: enquiry@siaa.org.uk

3. Scottish Child Law Centre Website: http://www.sclc.org.uk/ Telephone: 0131 667 6333 Email: enquiries@sclc.org.uk

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Getting It Right for Every Child – Ensuring their Wellbeing The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 puts children and young people at the

heart of planning and services and ensures their rights are respected across the public

sector. It seeks to improve the way services work to support children, young people and

families.

● The act ensures that all children and young people from birth to 18 years old have access to a Named Person.

● The act puts in place a single planning process to support those children who require it. ● The act places a definition of wellbeing in legislation. ● The act places duties on public bodies to coordinate the planning, design and delivery of

services for children and young people with a focus on improving wellbeing outcomes, and report collectively on how they are improving those outcomes.

Taking a ‘Getting it Right for Every Child’ approach to supporting every child is a priority within

our school and we aim to assist every child in our school to reach their potential. The wellbeing

of children and young people is at the heart of Getting it right for every child. The approach

uses eight areas to describe wellbeing in which children and young people need to progress

in order to do well now and in the future.

The eight indicators of wellbeing

Safe Healthy Achieving Nurtured

Active Respected Responsible Included

Why we have to get it right for every child

Education and Youth Employment must safeguard, support and promote the wellbeing of all

children and young people and address need at the earliest opportunity. These functions are

the responsibility of schools and establishments and those who work in them and with them.

All who work in Education and Youth Employment and in partnership with Education and Youth

Employment have a responsibility to ensure the wellbeing of North Ayrshire’s children and

young people.

For more information on Getting it Right for every Child in North Ayrshire go to

www.girfecna.co.uk

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An example of a Class Charter – we have attained ROC status as a Rights Respecting

School

Psychological Services The Educational Psychology Service in North Ayrshire is part of and contributes to the

strategic objectives of Education and Youth Employment by improving outcomes for children

and young people. Educational Psychologists work together with parents, teachers and other

professionals to help children and young people make the most of their lives, within

educational settings and the wider community. Educational Psychologists are involved in

working with individuals where there is specific need, but also have a significant role in

offering training, support and consultation to education establishments aimed at enhancing

outcomes for all children.

Your child's school/ Early Years Centre has a system of staged intervention for identifying,

assessing, monitoring and reviewing the ongoing progress of all children and young people.

As part of this wider system, each school and authority early years centre has a link

educational psychologist.

When concerns arise about a particular pupil the school takes action to address these concerns. If the concerns continue, school/ early years may have an informal discussion with the educational psychologist, and ask about general advice.

If needed and with your consent, a consultation meeting involving the educational

psychologist can be arranged. This may be a one off consultation, or may lead to longer-

term involvement. If the work is longer term, the exact involvement of the educational

psychologist will be discussed with you. Through this process the educational psychologist

can, if required, contribute to the ongoing assessment and support for your child. The

educational psychologist will remain involved while there is a specific role for them within the

collaborative process.

Find out more:

http://www.northayr-edpsychs.co.uk/

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Data Protection

Personal data is required to be collected by North Ayrshire Council in order to deliver education services. It is necessary to collect personal data regarding pupils, parents, carers and other individuals to enable us to carry out our duties under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 and the Education (Scotland) Act 2016. The Data Protection Act 2018 sets out the legal basis for processing data. You can refer to our privacy notice for details of the different basis under which we may process individuals’ data. https://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/Documents/EducationalServices/eye-privacy-policy.pdf We may also share or receive an individual’s personal data with the following:

Scottish Government & Education Scotland

Private Nurseries’

Strathclyde Passenger Transport

Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration

Social Work Services

Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Where we are required we will also make disclosures required by law and may also share information with other bodies responsible for detecting/preventing fraud or auditing/.administering public finds. Individuals’ have legal rights under the data protection legislation including the right of access. Further details can be found in the Council’s Privacy Policy at: https://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/privacy-policy.aspx Medical and Health Care

Medical examinations are carried out at various times during a child’s primary school years. Parents are given notice of these and encouraged to attend. Vision and hearing tests and dental examinations, which parents need not attend, are also carried out and parents informed of any recommended action or treatment. All examinations are carried out by Ayrshire and Arran Health Board staff. If a pupil takes ill or has an accident at school, which requires that the child be sent home or for treatment, First Aid will be provided and parents or carers contacted immediately. (In the event of a serious illness or accident, a member of staff will accompany the child to a doctor or hospital and parents/ carers will be notified immediately.) For this reason it is important that the school has contact details for parents/ carers and an additional contact person in case parents/ carers cannot be reached. It is also important that the school is kept fully informed and updated with regards to any medical condition. It is the parent’s responsibility to notify the school and keep medical information updated as required. Children will not be sent home unaccompanied.

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Section 8: Parental Involvement Parental Engagement and Involvement

North Ayrshire Council Positive Family Partnership Strategy

NAC Parental Involvement Strategy

All schools have clear systems in place for communicating with everyone in the parent forum. Communications with parents are clear, jargon-free, specific and easily accessible. A variety of methods and approaches are used by schools to communicate with the parent forum including face to face, traditional communication methods and digital media e.g. Twitter, Facebook. Considerations will always be given when communicating with parents who have literacy, language and communication challenges.

Schools ensure that parents know who to contact when they wish to discuss their child’s learning or wellbeing and will seek to provide a private space for such discussions and make sure parents are given adequate time and support. Consideration will be given to family circumstances.

Parents are welcome to contact the school at any time to arrange an appointment to discuss any matter with the class teacher, Depute Head, Head Teacher or Head of Centre. New families are welcome to contact the school and request a suitable visiting time at any point throughout the session

Parents are given opportunities to understand the way learning and teaching takes place in the classroom. This may be in the form of class visits to take part in the learning experience alongside their child or attending events which share the learning. Frequent invitations are issued to parents to participate in school activities such as open days, class assemblies, workshops and to assist with outings and visits, sports and concerts. There will be a series of early meetings for the parents of Primary 1 pupils and parents are kept informed of events with a range of newsletters, website updates, texts, invitations and social media sites.

A variety of methods will be used to ensure information about your child’s progress is shared. Schools are encouraged to provide parents/carers with information on their children’s progress at regular intervals throughout the year through a range of activities. There is an expectation that part of this will be in a written format.

Reporting Examples:

Individual Learners Groups of learners

Written reports/ tracking reports Assemblies

Learning conversations with pupil/ teacher/ parent/ carer

Open day events

Pupil reflections on their learning in logs School concerts/shows

Parent/ carer consultation/ Parents’ Meetings involving parent/ teacher/ pupil, as appropriate

Social media

Home/ school diaries Curriculum workshops led by children and young people and staff

Profiling activities Parent Council meetings

Learning walls and displays School / class newsletters

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Castlepark Parent Council Our Parent Council support the work of our school by making strong, positive connections with all parents and carers in our community. They have established four core values to drive their approach to achieving the very best outcomes for our children and their families: Community: We aim to promote partnerships with the wider community to provide

the best possible experiences and outcomes for our children.

Helpful: We aim to support parents by listening to their needs and providing them with support, advice and links to other support agencies where possible. Approachable: We aim to represent parents’ views and work in partnership with the

school to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for all parents!

Teamwork: We aim to work together using each member’s skills to benefit the

school environment and also to work closely with parent volunteers and staff to

provide fun family events throughout the year!

Our Parent Council support and deliver a range of activities throughout the school

year to help promote parents and carers involvement in the wider life of our school.

The Parent Council meet every fortnight on a Wednesday at 2.00pm within the

school. They display upcoming events and other useful information at the main

entrance to the school. You are welcome to follow them on Twitter @CastleparkC

Parentzone Scotland is a unique website for parents and carers in Scotland, from early years to beyond school. The website provides up-to-date information about learning in Scotland, and practical advice and ideas to support children’s learning at home in literacy, numeracy, health and wellbeing and science. Information is also available on Parentzone Scotland regarding additional support needs, how parents can get involved in their child’s school and education. Furthermore, the website has details about schools including performance data for school leavers from S4-S6; and links to the national, and local authority and school level data on the achievement of Curriculum for Excellence levels. Parentzone Scotland can be accessed at https://education.gov.scot/parentzone.

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Section 9: Pupil Data Collection and Protection Policies

The Scottish Government and its partners collect and use information about pupils through the Pupil Census to help to improve education across Scotland. This note explains why we need this information, how we use it and what we do to protect the information supplied to us. Why do we need your data? In order to make the best decisions about how to improve our education service, Scottish Government, education authorities and other partners such as the SQA and Skills Development Scotland need accurate, up-to-date data about our pupils. We are keen to help all our pupils do well in all aspects of school life and achieve better examination results. Accurate and up-to-date data allows us to: plan and deliver better policies for the benefit of all pupils plan and deliver better policies for the benefit of specific groups of pupils better understand some of the factors which influence pupil attainment and

achievement plan and implement targeted approaches to reducing the poverty-related

attainment gap share good practice target resources better enhance the quality of research to improve the lives of young people in Scotland

provide a window on society, the economy and on the work and performance of government by

publishing statistical publications and additional tables about School Education

providing school level information Data policy Information about pupils’ education is collected through our statistical surveys in partnership between the Scottish Government and Local Authorities through the ScotXed Programme which aims to help schools and Local Authorities by supporting efficient collection, processing and dissemination of statistical information. The Scottish Government then provides analysis of the data to support research, planning, management and monitoring of education services as well as to produce National Statistics publications. Education data within Scottish Government is managed effectively by secure systems and is exploited as a valuable corporate resource, subject to confidentiality restraints. As part of its data policy, Scottish Government will not publish or make publicly available any information that allows individual pupils to be identified, nor will data be used by Scottish Government to take any actions in respect of individuals. Data is held securely and no information on individual pupils can or would be made publicly available by Scottish Government. The individual data collected by Scottish Government through the Pupil Census is used for statistical and research purposes only.

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Your data protection rights Any sharing or linkage of data will be done under the strict control of Scottish Government, and will be consistent with their data policy and the National Data Linkage Guiding Principles. Decisions on the sharing or linkage of data will be taken in consultation with relevant colleagues and individuals within and outwith Scottish Government as part of a Data Access Panel. At all times the rights of the individual (children or adults) under the GDPR and other relevant legislation will be ensured. Further information can be found on: https://www2.gov.scot/topics/statistics/scotxed/schooleducation/ESPrivacyNotices If you have any concerns about the ScotXed data collections you can email the Data Protection & Information Assets Team on dpa@gov.scot or the Head of Education Analytical Services, Mick Wilson, at mick.wilson@gov.scot or by writing to Education Analytical Services, Area 2A-North, Victoria Quay, Leith, EH6 6QQ. Alternative versions of this page are available, on request from the ScotXed Support Office, in other languages, audio tape, Braille and large print. Alternatively complaints may be raised with the Information Commissioners Office at casework@ico.org.uk.

Appendix 1 Important Contacts

Interim Executive Director (Communities) Audrey Sutton North Ayrshire Council Cunninghame House IRVINE KA12 8EE 01294 324414 Head of Service Caroline Amos North Ayrshire Council Cunninghame House IRVINE KA12 8EE 01294 324416 Head of Service Andrew McClelland North Ayrshire Council Cunninghame House IRVINE KA12 8EE 01294 324413